Partners
by ijustkeepswimming
Summary: Sergeant Joey Collins finds her feathers ruffled when Detective Charlie Buckton arrives in Summer Bay to deal with the River Boys...
1. Chapter 1

_Hi everyone. I hope you enjoy the opening of this new story. It's especially for Jensy25 who liked the idea of Charlie and Joey both being cops. I really hope it's good enough! Love, IJKS xxx_

**Partners**

**Chapter One**

"Four coffees!" Sergeant Joey Collins hollered when she arrived at the police station.

She headed towards the reception desk where her colleague and friend, Senior Constable Georgie Watson was on duty. Their two other colleagues, Constables Jack Holden and Angelo Rosetta appeared from a side office to grab the beverages Joey had brought them.

"Is dragon lady here yet?" Joey asked.

A new Detective was supposed to be arriving temporarily in Summer Bay in order to help them deal with the gang warfare terrorising the local area.

"You don't even know her," Watson pointed out. "Why do you assume she's a dragon?"

"Because I spoke to her on the phone," Joey stated. "As soon as she comes, solves the case and then buggers off again, the happier I'll be."

"Uh, Jo…" Angelo tried, looking over her shoulder.

But she was already on a roll.

"No, seriously," she said. "The cow was really critical of the station and wanted to know why we couldn't deal with it ourselves and…"

She paused, noting the look of horror on her colleagues' faces.

"She's right behind me, isn't she?" she asked.

"Yes, she is," came a stern voice.

Joey whirled around and was about to apologise when she found herself speechless. She had pictured Detective Charlie Buckton as all sorts of things but absolutely stunning wasn't one of them.

"The cow was really critical of the station and wanted to know why you couldn't deal with it yourselves and…" the new arrival prompted.

Joey opened and shut her mouth a couple of times.

"I'm really sorry," she finally managed.

"If I'm critical about anything right now, it'll be the attitude. So why don't you head out and get me a coffee too and then we can all sit down and talk this through?" Charlie half suggested and half ordered.

Joey nodded mutely.

"Like grown-ups," Charlie added.

Still silent, Joey forgot about her own drink and headed back out the door. Behind her, Watson, Jack and Angelo couldn't do enough for their guest.

* * *

Arriving at the Diner for the second time in half an hour, Joey headed up to the counter.

"I know you're a caffeine demon," the owner, Leah Patterson-Baker remarked, "but even you couldn't have downed that coffee that quickly."

"We had an extra request," Joey said grimly.

"And why would you go out of your way to get someone a drink?" Leah asked. "I presume she was very attractive!"

Joey smirked, picturing Charlie's face. She certainly was beautiful.

"It was an order," she informed her friend.

Leah looked confused.

"Since when does anyone have the authority to boss you around?" she wondered. "You're Sergeant of the station!"

"New Detective," Joey explained.

"And they're pulling rank?"

Leah handed over the drink and accepted the cash.

"You were right about one thing though," Joey told her. "She is seriously hot!"

Leah snorted with laughter in a rather undignified manner. She had been friends with Joey for many years now and she was the only other person in the world that seemed to have as bad luck in the romance department as she did.

"Well, I guess you'd better hurry back to her," she said. "So you can swoon!"

Joey pulled a face.

"Now, I never said she had a personality to match," she said, heading back to work.

* * *

_Next time… Joey is annoyed to be partnered with Charlie…_


	2. Chapter 2

_I wrote a big, long response to the rude review I got but then decided it wasn't really worth the effort. The long and short of what I really want to say is that I'd never go out of my way just to upset someone or hurt their feelings and I don't expect people to do the same to me. If you don't like my writing, stop reading it. It's not rocket science. And please get some manners._

_But thank you to those of you that responded so kindly. I really appreciate it. And it's earned you an extra chapter! Love, IJKS xxx_

**Chapter Two**

Joey arrived back at the police station to be told that Charlie had organised a meeting for herself and some of the other officers upstairs in the conference room. Bracing herself and making sure she didn't spill any of the Detective's drink. She knocked politely on the door and then came in.

"Knocking isn't just a formality you know," Charlie said from the head of the table.

Jack, Angelo and Watson were all in attendance.

"Sorry," Joey said.

She was instantly annoyed with herself. She hadn't done anything wrong and she had no intention of sucking up to the new boss either. Irritated, Joey put the coffee down in front of her and took her seat. She opened her own drink and pulled a face. It was cold. Of course.

"Anyway," Charlie said curtly, not thanking her for the beverage. "Now that Sergeant Collins is here, we can get started. I want to know everything you all know about this case."

"It's all in the case file," Joey told her.

"And I've read that," Charlie replied, her voice still stern. "But I find that discussion prompts memories of things not included in the notes."

Joey raised her eyebrows and sat back in her chair.

"Have we got a problem, Sergeant Collins?" Charlie asked.

There was pin drop silence from the other officers who all suddenly found their drinks fascinating.

"No problem," Joey replied, her voice strong but level. "I just think it's better to get started on the case and not have a family meeting about it."

"Well that's the difference between someone who makes Sergeant and someone who makes Detective," Charlie said, not missing a beat. "Do you have any other objections to the way I'm running this case?"

"I'm sure I'll let you know when I do," Joey told her.

* * *

Two hours later, everyone was tired and eager to leave the meeting. Charlie was completely up to date with everything they all knew and was eager to plough on. The key was to find any evidence that would lead them to the huge marijuana crop on the outskirts of town. It was a big job and they didn't have much to go on yet but Charlie had never left a case incomplete and she wasn't planning to start now.

"So, partners and jobs," Charlie said. "Senior Constable Watson, I want you partnered with Constable Rosetta."

Angelo looked a little disappointed. He adored Watson but he had secretly hoped to get up close and personal with their new, temporary boss. He stopped listening while Charlie continued to dish out orders.

"And I'll take the first shift on surveillance of the crop site," she decided. "And Sergeant Collins, you'll be my partner."

Joey tried and failed to hide the horror on her face.

"Another problem, Sergeant?" Charlie asked.

"No problem," Joey lied. "I just thought you'd be on your own or partnering a less experienced officer."

"Oh, you think you're the boss of this station, do you?"

"No!" Joey snapped back. "All I'm saying is…"

"Two high ranking officers are a good partnership," Charlie interrupted. "I have no more desire to get stuck with you than you have with me but the more fiercely we attack this, the quicker it will be over and then neither of us has to see each other again."

Her eyes narrowed, boring into Joey's.

"Well then I have no objections," Joey told her.

"Good," Charlie said with faux pleasantness. "Then I expect you to come with me to check out this supposed cannabis farm."

"It's gone now," Angelo put in.

She looked sharply at him and he tried not to cower. He also tried – but failed – to stop finding her desperately attractive. There was something about a hot woman overpowering him that was very exciting. He hoped that perhaps when she wasn't actually working, she might be friendly. Then he hoped he could hit on her.

"You never know what could have been missed on the first sweep," Charlie told him.

He nodded and hurried out of the room with Watson and Jack, leaving Joey to look distinctly unimpressed.

"So, what degree did you get at Charm School?" the Sergeant asked sourly when they were alone.

"I'm not a cop to be nice to people," Charlie told her, gathering up her paperwork. "I'm here to solve a case and that's always the priority in life. You might do well to learn that."

She marched out of the room. Joey hurried to keep up with her.

"Are you insulting my commitment now?" she demanded.

"As if I'd ever do a thing like that," Charlie replied sarcastically.

Arriving downstairs, she dumped the folders on Angelo and told him to lock them up. Then she swept out of the station with Joey still following, her anger increasing by the second.

"I presume you have keys to a patrol car," the Detective told her, pausing in the car park.

Joey produced keys from her pocket and unlocked one of the cars with a remote. She was speechless when Charlie took the keys from her and hopped into the driver's seat.

"You have got to be kidding me," Joey muttered to herself, throwing herself in the passenger's side and wishing she had never come to work at all.

* * *

_Next time… Charlie and Joey just cannot get along…_


	3. Chapter 3

_You can thank the cat for the early update – he keeps waking me up at night! Love, IJKS xxx_

**Chapter Three**

"Okay, so all of this was full of crops?" Charlie asked as she and Joey pulled up at the latest River Boys crime scene.

They had more than the drug situation to investigate but this was the place to start.

"Yep," Joey replied, keeping carefully behind her.

"And you think these River Boys are to blame?"

"They're to blame for most things round here," Joey informed her.

Charlie turned around to look at her, studying her face and uniform.

"Such as?"

"One of them abducted a teenager recently and left him out in the woods," Joey told her. "Then there are the fights. They totally trashed a local restaurant a few weeks ago."

"And who's the leader of the gang?" Charlie wanted to know.

"Darryl 'Brax' Braxton."

"Well, I suppose the first thing we need to do is interview him," the Detective declared, carefully combing the crime scene. The smell of cannabis was still in the air.

"We already have," Joey said a little defensively.

Charlie turned back to her.

"Well, you obviously didn't do very well," she said curtly.

Joey was outraged.

"How dare you?" she snapped.

Charlie turned back, amused at her colleague's anger. She had always been good at rubbing people up the wrong way.

"Excuse me?" she demanded.

Joey stepped bravely closer until she was just a few inches away.

"I said, how dare you?" she repeated. "Are you hard of hearing?"

"I think you'd better learn some respect for your superior," Charlie warned.

"Superiors still need to earn respect," Joey told her. "And so far, all you've been is a like a bull in a china shop. How on earth do you expect any of us to cooperate properly when you talk to us like shit?"

Charlie continued to look amused. It aggravated Joey more.

"You know, you're pretty hot when you're angry," Charlie replied casually, turning away to continue her comb of the scene.

Joey stared after her, her mouth hanging open, not quite sure she had heard right.

"What did you say?" she asked, hurrying after her.

Charlie strode on. Joey jogged to catch up with her.

"I asked you to repeat yourself," she said.

Charlie stopped walking and faced her.

"It's not very becoming to demand a compliment," she told her.

Joey was dumbstruck again and more than a little irritated. They squabbled all through the field and then on the journey back to the station.

* * *

At the end of a very long day where they had failed to get anything out of Brax or his brother, Heath, Joey was in a foul mood.

"Surf Club, beer, after work," Joey told her three best friends – Watson, Angelo and Jack.

"Was it that traumatic?" Watson laughed.

"Personally, I wouldn't mind being her partner, if you know what I mean," Angelo smirked.

"Angelo, we _always _know what you mean," Joey informed him.

He frowned but happily accepted the invitation for a night out.

"Honestly, she a fucking viper," Joey complained.

"Um… Jo…"

"She's horrible!" Joey continued, oblivious. "Even when she's being complimentary, she's horrible!"

"Joey…" Jack said awkwardly.

"She's…"

Joey froze.

"She's right behind me again, isn't she?" she realised.

"Yes, she is," Charlie told her.

Joey turned round slowly, not sure if she should stick by her rant or apologise. She knew what she _wanted _but it probably wasn't the best option.

"Well, you're not drinking tonight," the Detective told her. "I need you to do overtime with the viper."

"No!" Joey protested.

The only thing keeping her going was the thought of a nice, cold beer with her friends.

"That's not fair," she added.

"Shit happens," Charlie replied.

* * *

_Next time… Charlie and Joey's argument escalates…_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

"What exactly are we doing out here?" Joey asked, irritation very evident in her voice.

She was stuck in the passenger seat with Charlie again, in the dark, watching the same harvested crop site they had come to earlier.

"We're on a stake out," Charlie told her, looking out the window and sipping her flask of coffee. "Where did you qualify? Pretend Police School?"

Joey pulled a face and looked out of her own window. She couldn't help but wonder what her off duty friends were doing. They would probably be on at least their third drink and having a right laugh. And instead of being with them, she was stuck with the Detective from hell.

"And how long are we going to have to sit and watch absolutely _nothing _happen?" she asked tiredly. "Because some of us have a life to live."

"What would you be doing instead of enjoying the pleasure of my company?" Charlie asked.

She settled back into her chair, quite enjoying winding her new colleague up. There was nothing like coming into a new work place as the boss, at least as far as the investigation was concerned.

"I'd be out with my friends," Joey told her. "Like normal people do on a Friday night."

"Oh, so you're a sheep, are you?" Charlie mocked.

"No, I just have a social life," Joey snapped back. "Are you aware of what such a thing is?"

"You know, if you stopped judging me, maybe you'd find out," Charlie said.

She was annoyed with herself for letting Joey's bitter mood get to her.

"How can I not judge you?" Joey demanded. "You've treated me like a slave all day. And it's really not fair that you're making me do overtime when there is literally fuck all to do here."

"Do you want a warning?" Charlie asked sternly, not that she could really get away with it.

"I don't care," Joey sighed, lifting her hands and letting them drop resignedly into her lap. "I really don't care."

"Well, like I said, stop judging me and maybe I'll play more nicely," Charlie told her.

"You started it!" Joey argued.

"You called me a cow!"

"I didn't know you were there!"

"Oh, so saying it behind my back is okay?" Charlie shot back.

"I…"

Joey growled in sheer frustration.

"Not to mention calling me a viper," Charlie added. "Do you think it's easy to come into a new station, head first into a case?"

"You don't look very bothered to me," Joey remarked.

"Well, maybe that will teach you not to judge a book by its cover," Charlie said sadly.

Without another word, she climbed out of the car and moved to stand away from her. Furrowing her brow, Joey felt guilty. She hadn't meant to upset the woman. She'd thought it was just banter. She too climbed out of the car and hurried over.

"Hey, I'm sorry," she said gently, touching her boss's shoulders.

She was met with silence.

"Charlie?"

"It's Detective Buckton," Charlie reminded her, turning around and not looking upset at all.

Joey jerked back.

"You were playing me!" she accused.

"It worked, didn't it?" Charlie smirked. "I think we should patrol."

Irritated all over again, Joey followed her. All she wanted to do was get home, take her uniform off and go to bed. This was proving to be the most frustrating of all days.

"Have I mentioned that you're infuriating?" she asked.

"You might have implied it," Charlie replied, looking rather pleased with herself.

They walked side by side, silence falling between them.

"Look, this is ridiculous," Joey eventually decided.

"What, your personality?" Charlie shot back.

"No!" Joey replied. "Yours!"

They paused by the car, ready to launch into an argument.

"Why do you have such a problem with me?" Charlie yelled.

"Because you do whatever you possibly can to piss me off!"

"Do you have a problem with authority?" Charlie asked.

"No!" Joey snapped. "I've never had a problem with a boss in all my life. You're a first."

Without warning, Charlie leant in and kissed her. It was over before it started. Charlie moved to return to the car while Joey stared after her.

"You can't do that!" she said a little feebly.

Amused, Charlie turned to face her.

"Are you complaining?" she asked.

Joey was about to say yes. Her hormones took over instead and she closed the gap between them. They kissed passionately, all their frustration pouring out. Charlie moved backwards until her legs were pressed against the front of the car. She held onto Joey as they continued to kiss, their hands roving all over each other.

Breathlessly, Charlie allowed herself to lie back on the bonnet. She closed her eyes as Joey reigned kisses on her neck and fought with her buttons. Sending one flying, Joey happily accessed Charlie's body beneath her shirt, kissing and stroking and wondering what the hell they thought they were playing at.

Keeping both their mouths occupied, Joey fumbled with the belt on the Detective's smart suit, reaching her goal, happy to feel how excited she was. She kissed her hard as she thrust into her, hitting just the right spot to make Charlie explode.

* * *

_Next time… new passion doesn't mean the girls can get along…_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Charlie rested back on the bonnet of the car, trying to get her breath back. Not entirely sure how such events had come about, Joey extracted herself and stood back. It all seemed rather surreal and sudden, although it had also been very exciting. It certainly wasn't the kind of thing that Joey was used to getting up to anyway.

Charlie sat up, getting to her feet quickly and offered Joey an amused smile as she rearranged her clothes.

"So, that was… weird," Joey ventured.

"Weird?" Charlie asked, raising an eyebrow. "I thought it was a lot of things but not weird."

"Do you usually screw your Sergeants?" Joey cracked, shoving her hands into her uniform pockets and feeling rather shy.

"Never," Charlie replied.

She moved round and climbed back into the car that had been of so much use. Joey silently did the same, sitting a little uncomfortably in the seat.

"I think we've done enough here tonight," the Detective decided, strapping herself and starting the engine.

Still rather flummoxed, Joey put her seatbelt on and rested her head against the head restraint.

"So…" she tried.

"So what?" Charlie asked, concentrating on the dirt track leading them away from the scene.

"So…" Joey tried again.

She sighed, having no idea what to say.

"You're not going to get all emotional, are you?" Charlie remarked, pulling back out onto the main road, grateful for the lack of traffic.

"No!" Joey denied, pulling a face. "As if!"

Charlie chuckled.

"So what?" she asked again.

"I just… wasn't quite expecting that to happen," she admitted.

"Are you happy that it did?"

"I think so."

"Good," Charlie said. "Me too."

"Will it… happen again?" Joey wanted to know.

Charlie cast an amused glance at her.

"Would you like it to?" she asked.

Joey shifted, deciding that she was playing the game wrong. She was utterly confused but Charlie seemed completely in control of the situation.

"Well, yeah," she replied, adopting a new tone. "You owe me."

"I owe you?" Charlie asked, knowing exactly what she meant.

"Well, only one orgasm was had there," Joey smirked. "I want mine too."

"Oh, you'll get yours," Charlie replied.

* * *

Forty five minutes later, Charlie had dropped Joey back at home. She'd got a lift into work that morning and with the surprise overtime, had ended up without transport. The Detective had offered to drop her off on her way back to her hotel.

With the engine off, Charlie leant across the seat and kissed Joey, who closed her eyes and melted against her. She couldn't say much for the personality but the new Detective was a wonderful kisser.

She flushed as she moaned quietly against Charlie's mouth. She felt Charlie's lips curl into a smile as they continued to make out on the front seat of her little, blue car.

"So, about this orgasm you requested," Charlie said, still kissing her.

"Mmm…" Joey managed.

"Would you like it now?"

Joey couldn't help but grin.

"If you want to," she replied, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Sure," Charlie said, opening the car door.

Joey climbed out also, expecting to take her boss into her house. She was surprised when Charlie walked around and opened the back seat of the car.

"You know, my house is literally just there," Joey said, jerking a thumb behind her.

"I know," Charlie replied. "That's why this is where I stopped the car."

"I _mean_," Joey said, "we don't have to be as classy as to do it in the back of a car."

"And the bonnet is better, is it?" Charlie smirked.

"Well, no, but…"

Charlie turned to face her properly.

"Who do you live with?" she asked.

"Angelo and Watson," Joey admitted.

"And what do you expect me to do? Come in and say, 'hi, I'm Detective Buckton, remember me? I'm just about to sleep with your colleague'?"

"Fair point," Joey said, hopping into the back seat.

Grinning, Charlie climbed in after her. She was going to have a lot of fun while she was in Summer Bay.

* * *

_Next time… Charlie and Joey can't stop thinking about each other and struggle at work the next morning..._


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

"Did you have fun with the hot Detective?" Angelo asked when Joey let herself into the house she shared with him and Watson.

"Sorry?" she asked guiltily.

Her housemate paused his DVD.

"Did you have fun doing your pointless overtime?" he asked.

"Oh yeah, it was fine," Joey said nonchalantly, plopping down onto the sofa beside him.

"You know, I wouldn't mind spending personal time with her," Angelo remarked. "She is hot!"

Joey snorted and shook her head.

"When she's not being a bitch," she reminded him.

"Yeah, well she's not going to be talking if we're going at it," Angelo smirked. "She'd have to catch her breath first!"

Joey laughed again and patted him on the shoulder. She didn't like to break it to him that he didn't stand a chance. Well, she presumed he didn't. Just because Charlie liked girls, it didn't exclusively mean that she didn't like boys as well. She most certainly had an insatiable appetite.

"She could start talking after the five seconds are over," she smirked.

Angelo exaggerated his offence.

"You have no idea how long I take!" he said. "You keep turning me down!"

"I share a wall with you, sweetheart," Joey mocked. "On the rare occasion that you do get a girl in there, I know exactly how long it takes!"  
He glared at her.

"At least I get girls in there sometimes," he mumbled.

She glared back at him, silently warning him not to pick that particular wound.

"Sorry," he said. "I know you have your issues."

Joey made herself comfortable on the sofa.

"What are we watching?" she asked.

"We are on the fourth Halloween movie if you care to join the marathon," Angelo informed her.

"The police in these movies are crap," Joey said sourly.

"I think it's more that Michael Myers is the epitome of evil!" Angelo protested.

"He lacks witty dialogue," Joey smirked, taking some popcorn from the bowl in front of them. "And at risk of you actually murdering me, I prefer the remakes."

Angelo looked suitably outraged.

"The first one really delves into the psychology!" Joey pointed out.

"Fuck the psychology!" Angelo argued. "He's just a monster!"

"Nobody is just a monster!" Joey insisted.

"I bet I could name someone," Angelo said.

Joey glared again.

"Below the belt."

"I meant Detective Hottie," Angelo lied.

"I know exactly who you meant," Joey said darkly.

They returned to the movie.

"The originals are still pretty awesome," Joey relented.

He grinned broadly.

"Did you skip number three?" she asked.

"Obviously," Angelo replied.

"I still have no idea what that thing was supposed to be about," Joey admitted.

* * *

That night, Joey struggled to sleep. She tossed and turned, unable to stop thinking about Charlie. How could a woman so infuriating be so addictive? she wondered. _Don't even go there,_ she warned herself. She had astronomically bad taste in women and Detective Buckton didn't seem like she was going to be an exception to the rule. _Damn she's hot though_, she mused, turning over again and hoping to actually get some sleep. It was likely to be a long day tomorrow. She hoped.

* * *

In her hotel room, Charlie was also struggling to sleep. She couldn't quite believe her behaviour tonight. It wasn't like her. Well, she did random one night stands exclusively but she had never considered going with a colleague. But Joey had been so beautiful and had such an attitude. But the attitude had covered some sort of vulnerability. She had never been so attracted to someone before. It unsettled and excited her all at the same time.

* * *

The following morning, Joey and Watson caught a lift into work with Angelo. All three of them had cars but whenever they worked the same shift patterns, they all piled into one. Joey felt shy as she waited in the meeting room for the Detective to arrive. She worried that she wouldn't be able to look her in the eye or stop imagining her in the throes of passion. She couldn't quite decide what had been more wonderful, pleasuring Charlie on the bonnet of the car or being pleasured by her on the backseat.

"Morning Detective," she mumbled when Charlie waltzed into the room.

Charlie barely nodded in her direction as she set to work.

* * *

"Is everything okay?" Joey hissed when the meeting dissolved.

She watched the rest of her colleagues file out of the room.

"It's fine, Sergeant," Charlie told her, gathering up her paperwork.

"Charlie…?"

The Detective whirled around to face her.

"Do you want to make an announcement in the paper that we got up to no good last night?" she hissed.

"Sorry?" Joey said, taken aback.

"You were a completely different person this morning," Charlie told her. "What happened to the attitude?"

"Well, I…"

Charlie shook her head.

"You suck at keeping secrets, don't you?" she said, looking suddenly amused.

Joey just looked startled.

"Are you insane or something?" she asked seriously.

"I don't think so," Charlie replied.

"How can you do _that _with someone and then just ignore them the next day?" Joey asked.

She was starting to feel a familiar sense of vulnerability and she didn't like it.

"I partnered us up again, didn't I?" Charlie pointed out.

"Yeah but…"

"Look, I think you're hot," Charlie said, getting right to the point. "And I certainly wouldn't object to a repeat or two. But the last thing we need is for anyone else to catch on. Don't you agree?"

Joey nodded quietly.

"Don't look like that, Joey," Charlie said, suddenly tender.

She touched her face and looked her in the eye.

"Don't get invested, okay? Let's keep things fun."

She turned on her heel and left the room. Alone, Joey took a deep breath.

"Fun," she repeated. "Not invested. Just fun. I can do that."

* * *

_Next time… the police force welcome Charlie's longer term stay…_


	7. Chapter 7

_I'm going to post a new story next so I hope you like it. It's called 'Rebellion' and it's set outside of the 'Home and Away' storyline. For now, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Love, IJKS xxx_

**Chapter Seven**

It had been an interesting week to say the least. With the evidence linking the River Boys to the pot plantation being extremely thin, the police had reluctantly had to put it on the back burner. But it was not something they were planning on forgetting about.

And to their credit, the surfing gang had been keeping them exceptionally busy with other things. One guy had abducted a local woman called Colleen Smart in her mobile home and dumped her outside of town. Charlie and Joey had made the arrest but he'd been let off with a caution when he sincerely apologised. Also, some sort of River Boy Law had also come into play because by the time he'd apologised, he'd had seven bells knocked out of him.

There had also been all number of fights and disturbances in and around the Bay and the local police force, including Joey and her colleagues were being kept very busy.

"So, I got some news today," Charlie announced in their morning meeting on Friday.

With the Detective around, there were a lot more meetings than there would normally be and although Joey had very much resented it at first, she actually thought regular checks-ins with each other made them all work better.

"And it looks like you're going to be stuck with me for a while," Charlie informed them.

Joey kept her face impassive. Her housemates had commented on that fact that she was warming to their new boss but she didn't feel the need to broadcast it. She and Charlie had had several pleasurable encounters over the last few days and she was secretly pleased to know that it could continue for at least a little while. She hoped she was being careful not to get too invested but every day, she found Charlie to be more infuriatingly wonderful.

"That's great," Angelo said.

He had done his best to get along with the Detective and he hadn't tried to hide it either. It hadn't occurred to him that she might not be into men but if it had, Joey doubted it would make him stop flirting anyway. She'd feel sorry for him if his vain attempts at getting Charlie to notice him weren't quite so obvious and quite so amusing.

Charlie smiled at the rest of the crew.

"Right then," she said. "Let's get to work."

* * *

"Hey, Charlie, are you busy tonight?" Joey asked, poking her head around the office door.

The Detective put her pen down and swung her chair round to look at the woman she was having a secret romance with.

"Why?" she asked in a tone that made Joey shiver with excitement. "What do you have in mind?"

Watson walked innocently past the door. Joey stepped into the room and shut them in.

"The guys wanted to take you out for a drink," she explained.

"Why?" Charlie asked, immediately cagey.

She was not one to make friends at work. She even kept Joey at a distance, at least on an emotional level.

"Because you're a longer term part of the team," Joey told her. "They wanted to be friendly."

She smirked at her.

"Do you know what that means?"

Charlie chuckled and leant back in her chair.

"I think I've been pretty friendly to you," she remarked.

Joey stepped closer, perching on the edge of the desk. Charlie stood to meet her, pulling her into her arms and offering a searing kiss.

"Does the door lock?" she whispered, running her hands up and down Joey's spine.

Joey nodded, extracted herself and hurried to lock the door. Then she eagerly returned to Charlie's arms, allowing herself to be lain back on the impeccably tidy desk. They kissed passionately, forgetting about where they are and caring only about each other.

* * *

A short while later, having had to hurry for fear of getting caught, Charlie and Joey fumbled to rearrange their clothes.

"So, are you coming out with us tonight?" Joey asked, tucking her shirt back in and trying not to look quite so flushed.

Charlie looked uncertain. She didn't really get along with people.

"Oh, come on…" Joey coaxed. "It'll be fun."

"Really?" Charlie asked, her voice full of scepticism.

Joey grinned, slipping her arms around her waist.

"I'll make it worth your while," she whispered.

Needing no further convincing, Charlie kissed her.

* * *

_Next time… while Charlie and Joey get up to no good, the River Boys cause more trouble…_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Charlie sat politely round a table at the Surf Club with Joey, Angelo, Watson, Jack and a handful of other officers. It felt weird to socialise but she was surprisingly happy to go with it. She forced herself not to smile too affectionately at Joey but it was difficult. She was stunned to realise how fond she had become of her.

She liked the way she challenged her and the way she made her laugh. She liked that under her uniform and attitude, she was a gentle, kind person. She was also the most beautiful person Charlie had ever met. And the sex had so far been extremely hot.

Blushing at the thought, Charlie sipped her drink and pretended to be interested in something Angelo was saying. He seemed like a pleasant enough man but he was most definitely barking up the wrong tree when it came to the way he always tried to hit on and flatter her.

"So, are you happy to be sticking around in our little town for a bit?" he asked her.

Charlie cast a sly glance at Joey and blushed when she realised she was looking right back at her.

"There are some pleasant things in this town," the Detective said, turning her attention back to Angelo. "Plus I'm looking forward to taking those River Boys down."

"They're arseholes," Angelo agreed. "Especially that Brax guy and his brother. I can't stand them."

Charlie chuckled.

"They'll learn their lesson," she said confidently. "I haven't met a criminal yet that I haven't beaten. Not literally, of course."

Angelo laughed and nodded.

"Glad to hear it," he said.

* * *

A little later in the evening, Charlie and Joey were struggling to keep politely away from each other. Every time Joey saw her, she wanted to kiss her. She hadn't been so hot for someone in a long, long time – if ever.

She watched as Charlie stood and headed to the bathroom. Her movements seemed deliberate and Joey had had no option but to admire her bottom as she waltzed across the Surf Club. Chewing her lip, Joey debated following her but she was interrupted by Jack.

"Martha and I wondered if you'd like to come round to dinner next week," he said.

Joey and Martha had gone to school together and so been friends for a long time. She smiled, although her mind was still on Charlie.

"That sounds great," she enthused. "Just give me a date and a time."

"Will you be needing a plus one?" he asked.

Joey looked immediately stricken.

"Sorry?" she asked, panicked that he might have twigged that there was something going on between her and their new Detective.

"Sorry," he grinned. "I was just teasing. But… you really should get back in the game."

Joey shrugged, glancing at the bathroom door.

"I don't think I'm ready to put myself out there again," she said.

It was at least partly true. She might think Charlie was amazing but she was genuinely terrified of getting too close.

* * *

A few minutes later, Joey extracted herself from the group and headed into the toilets, hoping that she hadn't got her wires crossed.

"Charlie?" she called out a little hesitantly.

A cubicle door opened and she was yanked inside.

"What took you so long?" Charlie asked, preventing her from answering by kissing her forcefully.

Joey closed her eyes, submitting to the Detective's will as they fumbled with each other's clothes.

"This is pretty classy, by the way," Joey remarked.

Charlie paused and looked at her, her hand carefully laid on her breast.

"I'm sorry," she said. "Are you complaining?"

"Not complaining," Joey said quickly. "Just observing. I'll stop now."

She grinned.

"You'd better not!" Charlie remarked, kissing her again.

* * *

Just over ten minutes later, the two police officers emerged from the bathroom to a scene of chaos.

"What the hell…?" Charlie murmured, launching into a fray of River Boys and police.

Joey hurried to join her, extracting Heath Braxton and pinning him against the bar. Behind that bar, Alf Stewart looked horrified by what was happening.

"You boys really are dumb, aren't you?" Joey remarked to Heath. "Picking a fight with a bunch of cops?"

"They started it," Heath said as she cuffed him.

"You know what," she said. "I don't actually believe you."

* * *

With their Friday night having not quite gone to plan, Charlie, Joey, Jack, Angelo, Watson and the rest of the team were relieved to be done for the night. They'd handed the River Boys over to the night staff who were letting them stew for a night in the cells and sober up.

"Shame Brax wasn't there," Angelo grumbled as they headed out of the station. "I would have loved to have punched him out."

Charlie raised her eyebrows.

"Not that I would ever have punched anyone," he countered. "Not even a River Boy."

"Good to know," Charlie said.

While he hurried off to his car with Watson, Joey took Charlie to one side.

"We're both off work tomorrow," she said.

"I'm aware of the rota," Charlie replied.

"Would you like to do something?" the Sergeant asked.

"What kind of something?"

Even the Detective blushed at what Joey whispered into her ear.

* * *

_Next time… Joey is caught out by her housemates and enjoys an afternoon with Charlie…_


	9. Chapter 9

_For Jensy25. Love, IJKS xxx_

**Chapter Nine**

Joey opened the back door eagerly but immediately regretted it. Dressed in nothing but a strap-on and harness, braces that vaguely covered her nipples and a top hat, she had expected to come face to face with Charlie. Instead, she, Angelo and Watson were all staring at each other in horror.

"Um… we forgot our keys," Watson mumbled as Joey attempted to cover herself.

But nothing could stop the flush in her face.

"Did you forget your clothes?" Angelo asked, as she stepped aside to let them in.

"Um…"

Joey fidgeted, struggling to hide her modesty.

"Nice hat," Angelo added with a smirk.

Joey took it off and covered her groin but knew it was fairly pointless. Watson left the room and reappeared quickly, brandishing her keys. It was everyone's day off but Joey had declined their invitation to spend the day at the beach.

"So, who are _you _spending the day with?" she asked, not able to keep her question in any longer.

"Nobody," Joey said quickly.

Angelo continued to smirk.

"So um… is this just what you wear on your day off or…?"

Joey blushed some more.

"Okay," she said. "I've got someone coming round. So can you go, please?"

Angelo folded his arms and shook his head.

"No way," he grinned. "We'd like to meet your lady lover."

"No!" Joey protested.

"Oh come on, she must be something special," Watson coaxed, very aware that she was having a conversation with her friend wearing a dildo covered by a hat and not much else.

"Yeah, you haven't had sex in two years," Angelo put on.

"Thanks for the reminder!" Joey snapped, jostling to the door. "Now will you just leave me to it?"

"But who is she?" Watson protested.

"None of your business!" Joey squeaked.

They reluctantly left, leaving Joey flustered. She leant against the kitchen table and put her hat back on. She jumped when there was another knock on the door. Fearing it was Angelo, Watson or worse, Joey cracked it open with caution. She was relieved to see Charlie standing there with a jacket on and bare legs. Her hair hung loose and with the sunshine behind her, she looked exceptionally beautiful.

"Expecting someone else?" the Detective asked, her tone seductive.

Joey grinned broadly and opened the door. Once Charlie had come inside, Joey kicked the door shut. She and Charlie met in passion, barely giving the Detective time to admire Joey's ensemble. When their lips eventually parted, Charlie stepped back and looked appreciatively at Joey.

"Wow, you really meant what you said yesterday," Charlie said, taking in the view.

Joey smirked back at her.

"I was hoping you'd be a little more undressed like I requested," she commented, looking at the jacket.

"Like this, you mean?" Charlie asked.

In one swift motion, she whipped the jacket off. She wore nothing underneath. Joey's eyes widened and lust surged within her.

"Wow," she said. "Did you come all the way over here in that? Or not in that, as the case may be?"

"Yep," Charlie grinned. "I parked round the corner in case your housemates came back before we were finished."

She stepped closer and wrapped her arms around Joey.

"And I'm not planning to be finished for a very long time," she told her.

They kissed again. Joey nudged Charlie up against the door, pressing against her. Charlie reached between them to touch Joey's appendage, finding it rather slick.

"My, you do come prepared," she remarked.

"Didn't want to waste any time," Joey replied.

Charlie moaned as she invited her inside. Her skin pressed against the door as Joey gripped her, penetrating her vigorously. Charlie lifted one leg, wrapping it around Joey's hip and pulling her in closer. Orgasm threatened to surge between both of them immediately.

* * *

Forty minutes later, Charlie and Joey flopped, exhausted onto Joey's bed. They'd had a rather energetic time, against the back door, on the kitchen table, on the couch, on the floor and then on the bed.

"Wow!" Joey breathed, genuinely gasping.

Charlie grinned and kissed her.

"We haven't finished yet," she said, sliding down the bed and removing Joey's strap-on.

Joey lay back against the pillows, steeling herself for the pleasure that was to follow. Charlie settled comfortably between her legs. Her own body ached from their activities and although she was going for something slightly more gentle, no passion would be spared.

Joey parted her legs as wide as possible as Charlie flicked her tongue over her clitoris. She explored her quickly but thoroughly, enjoying the moans she elicited in her lover. She teased her mercilessly, bringing her close and then pulling back before finally giving in and driving her hard over the edge and beyond.

* * *

Several hours later, the girls were finally sated. Joey relaxed, feeling happy and sleepy and a little bit naughty. She frowned when Charlie climbed out of bed and dug around in her bag to put some hidden clothes on.

"What's the rush?" Joey wondered.

"Well, we're finished," Charlie said, slipping her underwear on. "Aren't we?"

"Well, yeah," Joey said. "After a hundred rounds, I'm pretty exhausted. But you don't have to go. You could stay…"

"And what?" Charlie asked, fumbling with her bra. "Snuggle?"

Joey rolled her eyes, wondering why the woman she was having a fling with was so jaded.

"We could talk," she suggested.

Charlie chuckled and shook her head.

"What's wrong with you?" Joey wondered, a little exasperated.

Charlie threw a t-shirt on and looked at her.

"Excuse me?"

"What happened to make you so detached?"

"I don't play 'share my pain'," Charlie told her. "And we both agreed from the start that this is just sex."

Joey nodded but wouldn't relent.

"You know, even fuck buddies have conversations sometimes," she said.

"We're not fuck buddies," Charlie said. "The latter word indicated friendship."

Joey looked and felt wounded. Charlie sighed and perched on the edge of the bed, pulling her jeans halfway up.

"What I mean is, we started sleeping together first," she said. "So the phrase doesn't really apply."

"I guess," Joey reluctantly agreed. "But I'd _like _to be friends."

Charlie stood and hauled her jeans on the rest of the way, zipping and buttoning them up. Joey looked at her. She was even beautiful in casual attire. She couldn't help but wish she had known her when she was still in uniform.

"So, you want to chat?" Charlie asked.

"Yes," Joey admitted.

Charlie came and sat on the bed, cross legged, taking hold of her hands.

"What would you like to chat about?" she asked, making eye contact.

"I'd like to know more about you," Joey ventured cautiously.

Charlie always seemed so adamantly against such things that she was worried she was being led into a trap. And that was a feeling she was uncomfortable with.

"Ask away," Charlie offered.

"Really?" Joey asked, scepticism evident in her voice.

"Sure," Charlie replied, climbing back into bed and putting her arm around her. "I'm all yours."

* * *

_Next time… Charlie and Joey get to know each other a little better…_


	10. Chapter 10

_I've just got to the end of this story too so it will end at chapter seventeen. I hope you enjoy the rest of the ride. Love, IJKS xxx_

**Chapter Ten**

"Where are you from?" Joey asked, as they snuggled down together.

"Born and raised in the city," Charlie replied. "You?"

"Born and raised here," Joey told her.

"Have you never wanted to stretch your wings?" Charlie wondered, although her tone was not judgemental. "Break out of small town life?"

"I've wanted to," Joey admitted. "I spent a year away in training, of course but… somehow I ended back here."

She laughed self-consciously.

"What ties you here?" Charlie asked, surprised at how genuinely interested she was. "Family?"

Joey laughed again, this time bitterly.

"Definitely not family," she said.

Charlie eyed her quizzically.

"We don't get along due to their deep rooted homophobia," Joey explained. "It's strange to be able to exist in the same town and not have actually spoken for years."

Charlie exhaled a little incredulously.

"How about your family?" Joey asked. "Are you close to them?"

"Well, my Mum passed away a couple of years ago," Charlie revealed.

"I'm sorry," Joey said sincerely.

"But I'm pretty close to my Dad," Charlie added. "And very close with my sister, Ruby."

Joey smiled. She had always longed to experience sibling affection.

"She's a teenager now and a right tearaway with a real attitude but she's the loveliest, kindest, most well-meaning girl in the world," Charlie enthused.

"What's your Dad like?" Joey wanted to know.

"He's a retired Detective," Charlie told her. "He was pretty strict growing up but he's very mellow now. He's just tentatively started dating someone new. It's pretty sweet, actually."

She smiled to herself. Joey smiled with her.

"So, did you become a cop to follow in his footsteps?" Joey asked.

"Pretty much," Charlie admitted. "What about you? What made you go into law enforcement?"

Joey chuckled.

"To piss my family off!" she said. "They've never been the type to turn to the law for help. They prefer setting their own rules."

Charlie laughed and kissed her temple.

"Wow, is this affection?" Joey teased.

Charlie laughed and nodded.

"I guess it is," she said. "But don't get too used to it."

"I wouldn't dare!"

They kissed more tenderly than they ever had before.

"So, what _does _tie you to Summer Bay?" Charlie enquired.

"Friends, I guess," Joey said. "It used to be relationships too but…"

She pulled a face.

"I uh… I heard on the grapevine that you didn't have many good stories to tell in that area," Charlie ventured.

"I thought you didn't play 'share my pain'," Joey quipped.

"Oh, it's fine if it's your pain," Charlie joked.

Joey chuckled and shook her head.

"Um… well, I had a girlfriend that I thought was amazing and… she wasn't," she said.

"What was wrong with her?"

"Nothing major," Joey said. "Just you know, controlling, mean, selfish, violent…"

"Violent?" Charlie squeaked in horror.

Joey raised an eyebrow.

"Careful there, Charlie," she teased. "You might come off like you care!"

Charlie chuckled.

"We wouldn't want that," she agreed, kissing her.

Joey closed her eyes, enjoying the affection.

"I am sorry though, for what you went through," Charlie admitted.

Joey smiled, gazing at her.

"This is way too sappy," Charlie decided quickly, clearing her throat.

"Totally," Joey agreed.

"Have you got the energy to…?"

She raised her eyebrows suggestively. Grinning, Joey pulled her in for a more passionate kiss.

* * *

Several hours later, Charlie decided that it really was time to go home.

"I've had a wonderful day," she said, getting dressed for the second time.

Joey lay back in bed, smiling. Charlie had even been prepared to cuddle afterwards this time. _Don't start getting attached_, she warned herself. _She's not that kind of girl_.

"Me too," she said.

Charlie pulled her jacket on before leaning down and kissing her.

"Let's definitely spend more time together," she said, disappearing from the room and sneaking out to her car, which was parked round the corner.

* * *

_Next time… Watson and Angelo promise to keep Joey and Charlie's secret…_


	11. Chapter 11

_You can thank the cat for the early update. He messed up my sleep! Love, IJKS xxx_

**Chapter Eleven**

"So, what did you do, today?" Watson asked as soon as she and Angelo arrived home.

Once Charlie had left, Joey had showered and dressed and tried and failed to stop swooning over the connection she felt they had made.

"Or more importantly, who?" Angelo asked eagerly.

"Nobody!" Joey lied.

"Oh, so you just spend your days dressed like you were, do you?" Angelo teased.

Joey flushed. It would take a long time before she could live that little faux pas down.

"Tell us who you were with!" Watson begged.

"Just… some girl," Joey replied vaguely.

"Liar!" Angelo exploded. "It was Detective Buckton!"

Joey looked utterly stricken. Watson elbowed Angelo, irritated.

"How do you…?"

"We _might _have hung around a little bit," Watson awkwardly admitted.

"Seriously?" Joey snapped.

"We couldn't help it!" Angelo insisted. "You haven't so much as looked at a woman in two years, let alone waited for her in braces and a dildo!"

"I was wearing a hat too," Joey pointed out.

All three of them burst out laughing. Joey was half relieved and half horrified that her friends knew the truth.

"Listen, you _cannot _tell anyone," Joey begged. "Charlie would be horrified if someone knew. Don't even tell her that _you _know. Please?"

"Wow, it must be so nice to have a girlfriend who's so proud of you!" Angelo remarked.

Watson elbowed him again.

"We're not… in a relationship," Joey admitted. "We're just…"

"Wearing naughty clothes in front of each other?" Angelo grinned.

While he very much knew that Joey was off limits and he respected both that and her, the image of her answering the door would be etched in his memory for as long as possible. He thought both his housemates were hot and had never been ashamed to say so.

"Yes," Joey smirked. "We're just… having fun."

"But you don't… do that," Watson ventured.

She and Angelo both knew about Joey's relationship history and her views on not letting people get too close to her.

"Apparently, I do now," Joey said, embarrassed.

"She must be very persuasive," Angelo said.

Joey grinned.

"She certainly is," she agreed.

Angelo grinned back.

"And damn, she's fine," he added.

Joey readily agreed with that as well.

"So… what are you actually doing?" Watson asked.

"You want the graphic details?" Joey teased.

Watson blushed and shook her head.

"I mean, you're sleeping together but you're not in a relationship," she ventured.

"Yeah," Joey said, exhaling deeply. "We're playing it cool, no feelings, just fun…"

Watson looked doubtful.

"How can you do something like that without feelings?" she wondered.

"Very easily," Angelo told her.

"Just because you can't get a girl to spend more than one night with you," Watson shot back.

He pretended to look wounded but laughed instead.

"I bet she's wild in the sack, isn't she?" he asked Joey, who blushed but didn't reply.

She didn't want to disrespect Charlie by talking about her behind her back.

"Now that she's staying in the Bay…" Watson nudged.

"I don't know," Joey said. "To be honest, I'm as confused by all of this as you are. Charlie's pretty adamant that it's nothing serious but… yeah, I do have feelings for her."

"Are you in love with her?" Watson asked.

"No," Joey denied but she wasn't entirely sure it was true.

Her feelings for Charlie seemed to go deeper every day and she was thrilled by the closeness and conversation they'd had earlier that day. She'd loved the way they held each other and opened up, just a tiny bit, about their hearts and their lives.

"But… I really like her," she admitted. "And she would seriously freak out if she knew you knew so…"

"Won't say a word," Watson promised.

"My lips are sealed," Angelo said.

He grinned.

"Unlike yours," he added.

Joey swatted him on the arm and told him to grow up.

* * *

That night, Charlie lay in bed in her hotel room. Pictures of Joey danced around in her head. She had never met someone so beautiful before and she felt emotionally close to her now. Everything warned her to stay away and not get invested. She was terrible at relationships and the last thing she wanted was to hurt Joey who was so sweet, so funny and so kind. But the truth was, she was falling for her. And it scared her more than she could say.

* * *

_Next time… the police tackle the River Boys…_


	12. Chapter 12

_I can't remember if I said already or not but this story will end at chapter seventeen. Also, tomorrow, I will start posting a new story called 'Road to Somewhere' which explores a new way for Charlie and Joey to meet. Love, IJKS xxx_

**Chapter Twelve**

"Okay, everyone, we've had a tip off," Charlie announced as she and her team gathered for their usual meeting. "Someone dropped a note off to say that there's going to be some sort of battle to the death between the River Boys and Jake Pirovic's gang. It all sounds pretty juvenile to me but whatever it takes to put these guys away."

The whole reason she had come to Summer Bay was to break up the gang warfare terrorising the locals. They had got away with a huge drugs operation, which Charlie blamed on the fact that it had technically finished before she'd got here. They'd arrested various members of the gang for smaller things like abducting a poor woman named Colleen Smart in her mobile home and various for fights. They'd taken down one guy for a drug offence but it was getting difficult to attack the group as a whole. And as the leader, Darryl Braxton seemed irritatingly untouchable.

"Who gave the tip off?" Angelo asked stupidly.

"I don't know," Charlie replied. "They didn't exactly sign it in blood."

Angelo nodded but didn't feel too abashed. She didn't know it but he had something nice and juicy on her. Not that he was planning to do anything with it. He loved Joey too much for that.

"But here's the planned location," Charlie said, handing papers round the group.

"Do we know how many are expected to be involved?" Watson asked, hoping not to be shot down.

"No," Charlie said. "Unfortunately not."

"Why didn't you get sarcastic with _her_?" Angelo asked without thinking.

A murmur of amusement rippled through the group. Joey and Charlie both allowed themselves small smiles.

"Because _she _didn't ask a stupid question," Charlie said easily. "Anyway, I suggest that at least ten of us head on down there tonight and lie in wait for them. But we have to be careful on this. We can't go charging in or they'll just slip away. This is about getting them put away for good. And we'll charge them for every little thing they're guilty of."

"I really hope Brax is there," Angelo murmured.

"I hope that's because if you topple the leader, the gang falls apart," Charlie said. "And not because of any personal vendettas."

Angelo nodded.

"There is no room for personal vendettas on your team, Detective," he quoted.

She smiled and nodded.

"That's right," she agreed.

* * *

"Okay, I've finally discovered what's hotter than you in one of your sharp suits," Joey commented.

She had entered Charlie's office as they all prepared to gear up for the night and found Charlie suited up in uniform with a stab vest.

"Oh, and what's that?" the Detective asked with a sly smile.

"You in uniform," Joey explained, gliding forward and kissing her.

Despite her misgivings, Charlie happily sank against Joey, passion spiralling. They jolted apart when there was a knock on the door. Clearing her throat and trying to look casual, Charlie invited the visitor in. Angelo poked his head round the door.

"Are we ready to go, boss?" he asked.

"Yep," Charlie said. "Let's go get 'em."

* * *

"Go, go, go!" Charlie announced.

The police officers launched themselves from their hiding spots to tackle stunned men with guns. They'd been waiting for the gangs to show up for at least an hour but now that they were here, they considered it an hour well spent.

"Police!" Angelo yelled, aiming his weapon at Heath Braxton. "Lower your weapons!"

Heath was about to argue and then realised he had more than one cop on his tail. Reluctantly, he obeyed orders. Panicked, Jake's brother, Hammer tried to flee. Joey stepped out, weapon in hand to force him to stop. He risked being shot as he pushed her violently out of the way. Watson gave chase. Charlie let go of all her instincts and rushed to Joey's side, taking her hand and hoping she wasn't injured.

"Joey, are you okay?" she asked worriedly.

"Yeah," Joey winced, trying to sit up. "Just winded."

They both looked up at the sound of a sudden clap of thunder. Then the heavens opened. Everyone was soaked immediately.

"We've got them all, Charlie!" Watson announced, dragging Hammer back to the group of arrested men.

Charlie stood, helping Joey to her feet. She stood face to face with Brax, who had been apprehended by a junior officer, and enjoyed slapping handcuffs on him. Like she had said before, the chances were that if their leader was removed, the gang would eventually fall apart.

"Now boys," she said, addressing the whole group of criminal thugs. "Guess where we're all going."

* * *

_Next time… Charlie tries to look after Joey…_


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

After a long night of interviews and arrests, Brax, Heath, their boys and their rivals, including Jake and Hammer were being held in custody.

"Okay, it's time to go home," Charlie told her officers.

Joey was grateful. She was in agony and was still wet from their spring in the rain.

"Not you," Charlie said when she turned to leave.

Joey turned back to her, unsure of what she was about to hear.

"I'm taking you to the hospital," Charlie stated.

"Oh, I'm fine," Joey said dismissively.

She winced at the same time. Rather than just being winded, she feared she might have bruised or cracked a few ribs. They hurt like hell.

"Yeah, you look like you could go a couple of round with Mike Tyson," the Detective remarked.

Joey chuckled, supposing that this was Charlie's attempt at caring about her.

"Uh, we can take her to the hospital on our way home if…" Angelo ventured.

"I like to be thorough in making sure my staff are okay," Charlie replied. "But thank you."

Her politeness surprised him and he couldn't help but silently remark at how thorough she was intending to be. He wondered why he hadn't noticed the spark between Charlie and Joey before. He and Watson headed back through the door and home.

"Ready?" Charlie asked.

Joey nodded and allowed her to take her by the elbow and out of the station.

* * *

On the way to the hospital, Joey had won a rare argument and persuaded Charlie just to take her to her hotel, claiming that there was little to be done about sore ribs and all she needed was a good night's rest.

"I still think you should get checked out," Charlie said unhappily as she helped Joey out of the car and into the building.

"If it's this bad in a couple of days then I'll go," Joey promised as they made their way up the stairs. "But I'm sure it'll be absolutely fine."

Charlie frowned but let her into the room.

"I'm running you a hot bath," she stated, closing the door behind them and striding through to the bathroom.

"You really don't have to," Joey said, punctuating with a sneeze.

She had been sneezing since they'd first arrived back at the station and secretly worried that she was coming down with a cold thanks to getting soaked.

"You need to warm up," Charlie said. "I should have sent you to the hospital immediately instead of doing all those interviews."

She turned back from where she was leaning over the tub.

"Sorry."

Joey raised her eyebrows, looking amused.

"Did you just apologise?" she asked.

Charlie grinned and turned back to the bath, telling her not to get used to it. Joey chuckled and shook her head.

"I wouldn't go too overboard, Charlie," she said. "I might start thinking you care about me."

"Don't get carried away," Charlie said, testing the temperature of the water.

She turned back and began to help Joey undress.

"Oh, come on," Joey teased. "You care just a little bit, don't you?"

"I just want to make sure you have as few sick days as possible," Charlie lied.

The truth was, she was worried about her. The truth was, she cared a great deal. She stripped Joey down and instructed her to get in the bath. Then she turned to leave.

"Wait!" Joey called out, prompting her to turn back.

"What?" Charlie almost shrieked in alarm.

"Aren't you going to get in with me?" Joey asked cheekily. "Keep me company?"

"Well, I wasn't planning to," Charlie said, sounding very much like she could be persuaded.

"But what if my injuries overtake me, I fall unconscious and drown?" Joey said dramatically.

Charlie couldn't help but laugh.

"Well, I wouldn't have to explain to the big bosses why they have to replace such a good Sergeant," she said, stripping off.

She climbed into the bath behind Joey and allowed her to rest against her. She wrapped her arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

"Feeling any better?" she asked.

"Mmm," Joey said. "Much."

* * *

Later, dressed in a spare pair of pyjamas, Joey was tucked up in bed, being spooned by Charlie.

"You really _are _going to start looking like you care soon," Joey mumbled.

"I don't care in the slightest," Charlie said, knowing Joey already had her sussed. "This is just good, old fashioned police work to me."

Joey grinned and snuggled a little closer. Charlie kissed her shoulder and closed her eyes. She held her all night.

* * *

_Next time… Angelo drops Joey in it, causing huge problems with Charlie…_


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

Charlie drove to Joey's house in the morning so that she could change into a fresh uniform, ready for work the following day. She had come up with a story for Angelo and Watson if they asked why she had had Joey spend the night, not knowing that they already knew about their affair.

"All set?" she asked when Joey climbed back into the car.

"Yep," Joey said brightly.

Last night had been one of the best night's sleep she'd had in a very long time. She had felt so safe and happy in Charlie's arms and she knew more than ever now that she didn't want it to be a meaningless fling. It already meant too much for it to be that. She wanted a relationship with Charlie. She just didn't know how to broach such a subject.

"Are you sure?" Charlie asked worriedly. "How are your ribs? Maybe you should take a sick day."

Joey chuckled.

"I thought the point of last night was to protect the force," she smirked.

Charlie laughed softly, daring to lean across and kiss her.

* * *

"So, did you have a good night at the 'hospital'?" Angelo teased.

It was lunch time and he, Watson and Joey were about to take their break together.

"I was looked after perfectly," Joey said as diplomatically as possible.

"I bet you were!" Angelo said.

"Angelo…" Watson warned.

"Does she make you call her Detective Buckton when you're in bed?" Angelo continued, oblivious to Joey's ashen face.

He pretended to cry out in orgasm.

"Joey," said a stern voice behind him.

Sergeant Collins wanted the world to swallow her up. Angelo turned around, not looking much better. He hung his head and mumbled an apology.

"My office," Charlie said to Joey. "Now!"

"Thanks a bunch," Joey shot at Angelo as she trailed behind her girlfriend.

_So much for wanting to make a proper go of things_, she thought to herself.

* * *

Charlie turned on Joey as soon as she shut the office door.

"Did you tell them about us?" she demanded.

"Um…" Joey struggled.

Charlie threw herself into a chair and then leapt back up again, beginning to pace. She was furious.

"What was the one thing I asked you not to do?" she snapped.

"Actually, you asked a lot of things," Joey said, her defensiveness taking over. "I wasn't allowed to get invested, I wasn't allowed to hug you, I wasn't allowed to know anything about you…"

"And you weren't allowed to tell anyone!" Charlie interrupted.

"I didn't," Joey informed her. "That day when you came round, they caught us."

"And you didn't think to tell me that?"

Joey shrugged.

"For fuck's sake, Joey!" Charlie bellowed.

Joey set her jaw, irritated. She had spent enough time in her life being belittled by a partner and it was something she had vowed would never happen again.

"For fuck's sake, what?" she snapped. "It wasn't my fault! I can't help it if they saw you strutting in looking for a good time!"

She opted not to mention the dildo incident that had preceded it.

"Well, it was you who told me it would be fine!" Charlie yelled. "It was you who insisted that they'd be out!"

"And I thought they would be!" Joey yelled back. "I can't control all the forces of the universe! And you agreed! It's not just down to me!"

"I don't even know why I got involved with you!" Charlie said nastily.

"Well, I didn't ask you to!" Joey snapped. "You pursued me, remember? I didn't ask for any of this!"

"You didn't say no, either," Charlie replied. "But you should have told me that they knew! You knew how much I wanted to keep this quiet! You knew how important it was!"

"And I told you it wasn't my fault!" Joey argued.

"Get out!" the Detective dismissed. "I don't want anything more to do with you, Joey. I don't even know what I saw in you in the first place."

Deciding that she was no longer falling in love with her, Joey stormed out.

* * *

_Next time… Joey forgives Angelo but things are more than a little difficult with Charlie…_


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

All throughout the day, Charlie and Joey avoided each other, not even communicating on the case unless they had to. Brax and his gang had been denied bail and were now languishing in jail but not even that could cheer the mood around the station.

"Joey, I'm really sorry," Angelo persisted.

He had been trying to apologise to his housemate and friend all day but she was too upset, not completely with him, to listen. Frustrated, he hurried after her as she exited the police station.

"Joey!" he called desperately.

She turned, glaring at him.

"Please just leave me alone, Angelo," she said bitterly.

"I need to talk to you," he insisted.

"I think you've said enough for one day, don't you?" she snapped.

He frowned as she leant against the wall of the building, lifting her eyes to the sky. Ascertaining that she had paused in shouting, he came to lean beside her.  
"I'm really sorry," he repeated. "I didn't know she was behind me. I mean, you of all people know how quietly she can sneak up on people. She's got you loads of times."

"But I was only calling her names!" Joey protested. "I didn't reveal a massive secret."

She caught his look and burst out laughing, accepting how absurd her argument sounded. Sighing heavily, she closed her eyes.

"I can't believe it's over as quickly as it started," she mused unhappily.

"You were really falling in love with her, weren't you?" he realised.

Joey nodded.

"Well, with one correction," she added.

He eyed her curiously.

"I've already _fallen _in love with her," she confessed. "Although after the things she said to me, I kind of hate her too."

She pulled an utterly miserable face. Feeling suitably bad about the situation, Angelo moved to put his arm around her.

"I'm really sorry, mate," he apologised. "I didn't mean to get you into so much trouble. I shouldn't have been shooting my mouth off."

"No, you shouldn't," she agreed, poking him in the ribs. "Fortunately, I love you a sufficient amount that I can forgive you."

"I promise not to do it again," he said, holding up his hands in surrender.

"There's nothing left to tell," Joey said sadly as they trudged back into the building. "It's over. It's done with. I've lost her. I never thought I'd love again after… everything but I have and I probably shouldn't have bothered."

Neither police office had noticed the open window above them. In the toilets the window belonged to, Charlie had heard every word.

* * *

"Joey, I need you to do some overtime with me," Charlie said, knocking on Joey's office door.

The Sergeant sat back from her desk and adamantly shook her head.

"No fucking way," she told her.

Charlie frowned over her approach not being quite as easy as she had hoped.

"We've still got work to do on the case," she said rather stiffly, leaning against the door frame.

"Charlie, have a night off," Joey told her, folding her arms from where she was sat in her chair. "We won. We caught the bad guys. They're in jail. I think concluding the paperwork can wait until tomorrow, don't you?"

"I like to be thorough," Charlie said, desperate to get the woman that meant so much to her on her own.

"Well, I need a break," Joey snapped back. "My ribs hurt."

"You said they were fine!" Charlie exclaimed rather worriedly.

"I don't think you're one to say that what people say and do aren't always the same thing," Joey said curtly, slipping past her and out into the reception area of the station.

"Joey, would you just listen to me?" Charlie asked desperately.

Watson, Jack and Angelo pretended not to be listening as they focussed on their computer screens.

"No!" Joey said, losing her temper. "I have absolutely no interest in anything you have to say. Now, if you'll excuse me, my shift's over and I plan to spend my evening with my friends."

She gestured for said friends to exit the station with her, although they were all rather awkward about it.

"Sergeant Collins!" Charlie yelled.

Joey turned back but didn't look half as anxious as her colleagues did.

"I want a word with you in my office," Charlie said. "Now!"

Rolling her eyes, Joey turned her back and walked out of the station. Fuming, Charlie tried to plot her next move.

* * *

"I don't think I've ever seen you so feisty before," Angelo commented as he, Watson and Joey drove towards the Surf Club together.

Jack had gone in his own car, looking forward to meeting his wife, Martha, there.

"Well, she pissed me off," Joey grumbled from the backseat.

"What did she say to you?" Watson wondered, focussing on the road she was driving on.

"Just that she wants nothing more to do with me," Joey said, trying to sound more angry and less hurt. "That she has no idea what she saw in me in the first place. Stuff to that effect."

Watson frowned.

"Then why was she so eager to speak to you before we left?" she asked.

"Hell if I know," Joey said, gazing out of the window at the beach.

She had the weekend off and she had been looking forward to spending some of it with Charlie. But spending time in the sun seemed liked just as fine an option all the while she was pretending not to care.

"Maybe she changed her mind?" Angelo suggested hopefully. "Wanted to apologise and make things better?"

"Well then I'm afraid it's too little, too late," Joey declared. "I don't care about anything she has to say to me. Not one single thing."

Everyone in the car knew it was a lie.

* * *

_Next time… Charlie pleads for a second chance…_


	16. Chapter 16

_This is the penultimate chapter and you'll learn a bit more about Charlie so I hope you enjoy it. Love, IJKS xxx_

**Chapter Sixteen**

Charlie sat at her desk, feeling stressed over what had happened with Joey. She was annoyed that she had allowed Angelo and Watson to find out about them but she devastated at what her reaction had cost her. If only she could learn to curb her temper and control what she was saying. Then perhaps she might learn to think before she spoke. _Then I might not have lost her_, she thought sadly, burying her head in her hands.

She sat up abruptly when she came to a strong realisation. She didn't want Joey to be a fling. She cared for her. And suddenly, she didn't care who knew it. Grabbing her bag, she charged out of the station to towards her car.

* * *

At the Surf Club, Joey was already three sheets to the wind and her mood was not improving with drink. She sat at a table with her housemates and couldn't stop rambling about the woman she was pretending not to care about.

"I mean, what the hell was I thinking?" she slurred. "I'm not that kind of girl and I never have been!"

"Um… what kind of girl?" Watson asked, needing clarification.

"A flinging kind of girl," Joey explained. "I should have known that people always get hurt by this kind of thing. I should never have gone there."

"Well, lesson learned," Angelo said, clapping her on the back. "And who can blame you? She's very hot! So, does she just like girls or does she like guys too or…?"

Watson hit him hard. He jerked away from both women, looking wounded.

"Now is not the time!" Watson hissed.

"I was just trying to lighten the mood!" Angelo protested.

"Well consider it an epic fail," Watson said. "Look at the state of her!"

"I'm fine!" Joey insisted, nearly falling off her chair as she tried to prove it. "And I'm glad, you know? I'm glad I found out what a bitch she was before it was too late. I mean, can you imagine how it would have been if I'd have actually developed feelings for her?"

"Imagine!" Angelo remarked, rolling his eyes.

"Can't," Watson added.

Joey remained oblivious to their sarcasm.

"I swore not even that long ago that I would _never _let a woman treat me like that again," she ranted. "And okay, I slipped up. But I've learnt my lesson. I was right to refuse to get involved with anyone before, especially someone void of all emotion. And someone's who's so damn ashamed of me that she'd behave like that the moment someone found out. I mean, it's not even my fault that you guys found out!"

Having paused for breath, she was about to rant again when she saw Charlie enter to building.

"Oh great!" she murmured.

Watson and Angelo looked round and spotted her too.

"This should be interesting," Angelo breathed.

Watson nodded mutely.

"Joey?" Charlie said, approaching.

"I'm too drunk to go on some boring, pointless stake out or do work of any variety," Joey said, the room spinning a little. "So why don't you just go back to having no life, being a bitchy cold fish and leave me the hell alone?"

"Joey, please can we sit down and talk about things properly?" Charlie requested quietly.

"No!" Joey exclaimed. "I don't want to talk to you! I don't want to do anything with you! I wish the past few weeks had never ever happened."

She sounded more pathetic than angry. And her eyes told Charlie that she was lying.

"Please, Joey?" she begged, very aware of Watson and Angelo. "I'm so sorry for everything I said. I just reacted and I didn't think anything through. I just… I'm sorry."

Joey promptly threw up. Charlie jerked back but not before she'd received a lot of vomit on her trousers and shoes. Joey looked stricken as Alf came over to clean up, grumbling while he did so. Angelo and Watson watched, eager to see what would happen next.

"Joey, please can we talk?" Charlie persisted, wrinkling her nose at the stench of sick.

A little more sober, Joey looked startled.

"I just threw up on you," she pointed out.

"I noticed," Charlie replied.

"And you still want to talk to me?"

"I love you," Charlie said.

They both looked shocked. Charlie hadn't meant the words to come out and Joey certainly hadn't expected them.

"I think you're supposed to say something back here, Jo," Angelo said when nobody uttered another word.

Charlie and Joey both laughed awkwardly. They were again surprised that Charlie wasn't running away.

"Can we please talk properly?" she requested again. "And um… privately?"

"I'm still a bit drunk," Joey admitted.

"I know."

"I might not make all that much sense."

"Do you ever?" Charlie joked.

Joey pouted.

"If I hadn't just seen you hurl, I'd kiss you," Charlie teased.

Joey pouted more.

"So…?" Charlie nudged.

"I just don't understand why you push me away the way you always do," Joey complained sadly.

"I'm sorry," Charlie said.

"That's not an explanation," Joey pointed out.

Charlie glanced at Watson and Angelo who were watching and listening without shame, as were several other patrons.

"You want me to play 'share my pain'?" she asked.

"Yes, please," Joey requested.

"In front of all these people?"

Joey nodded and then turned a little pale as she fought more nausea. Charlie glanced around the room and took a deep breath.

"Okay, so I was fifteen," she ventured. "I was in the closet, I didn't know myself and I was afraid of the whole world. I didn't have any friends or anything so when this beautiful girl started hanging out with me, I was elated. Up until I met you, I thought she was the most beautiful girl in the world. And she was so kind to me. Really attentive and because she was popular, she made her mates hang out with me too. But then, after a lot of encouragement on her part, I made a move on her. And her mates caught it on camera and played it to the whole school. The whole thing had been a set-up, a big game to humiliate the nerdy girl in the back of the class. They'd all taken bets on whether I was gay or not and…"

Charlie sighed and shrugged.

"And I ran back in the closet and promised my Dad I'd never shame him like that again and look at another girl again," she added. "And I guess I've been jaded and overly cautious ever since. I've not wanted to let anyone get close for fear of getting hurt."

She gazed into Joey's eyes.

"I'm sorry for hurting you," she said. "But please believe me when I tell you that I love you. I've never felt like this about anyone before. You mean everything to me."

Joey smiled and took her hands. She was desperate to kiss her but knew she needed to at least gargle first.

"Let's go," she decided.

They said goodbye to Angelo and Watson and headed out together.

"So, how long did it take Joey to take back everything she said tonight?" Angelo asked.

"About thirty seconds," Watson confirmed with a grin.

* * *

_Next time… Charlie and Joey make a decision about their relationship…_


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen**

It had been a month and against her better judgement, Joey was on cloud nine. She and Charlie were out and proud, not to mention happy together. As each day passed, Joey was torn between surrendering herself to the joy and passion of their relationship and fear that it was all going to collapse. She felt stronger for Charlie than she had ever even felt for the woman she'd loved so much, she had allowed herself to be bullied.

But despite a rather harsh approach to life, Joey had seen Charlie mellow and she certainly could never see her of being capable of the same kinds of things as her ex. She was desperately in love with her.

"Hey, sweetheart, what time shall we book the table for tonight?" Joey asked, poking her head around Charlie's office door.

The Detective looked up sharply, stress evident on her face. Joey moved into the room and shut the door, perching on the edge of the desk that they'd had sex on only a month or so before. That had been a particularly entertaining afternoon. And for Joey, it had been completely out of character. But Charlie brought out a side to her that she had never even known she had. And she liked it.

"Are you okay?" she asked worriedly.

She took Charlie's hand but found it rather stiff, like she didn't want to be touched.

"Charlie?" she nudged.

"What?" the Detective asked, sounding lost.

"Is everything okay?" Joey repeated, genuinely concerned.

"Yeah, fine," Charlie lied. "What table?"

"Um… we were going to go for dinner tonight," Joey reminded her. "For our anniversary?"

"Oh, yeah, sure," Charlie said

"So… what time?"

"Whenever," Charlie told her.

Joey was disappointed to find her tone lacking in any sort of enthusiasm.

"We don't have to…"

"I said it's fine, Joey," Charlie snapped.

Joey's hurt showed on her face and Charlie felt instantly guilty. Her current predicament wasn't Joey's fault, after all… well, not exactly anyway.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I just have some stuff on my mind."

"Anything you'd like to share?" Joey asked.

The one thing that Charlie wasn't that good at was communication. She was smart, funny, passionate and entertaining but she had a tendency to live in her own head and Joey had to admit it was a little tiring to have to work out what she was thinking all the time. But then, she figured that was a small price to pay – especially when the one thing she was surer of than anything else was that Charlie loved her.

"Not yet," Charlie said. "But later. I've got some stuff to get on with now but um… I finish at seven so maybe book the table for eight?"

"Sounds good," Joey enthused.

She leant over and kissed her, pleased when Charlie responded. Any anxiety or awkwardness dissipated as their lips melted together. Charlie stood, pressing her body against Joey's, never wanting to let her go. She ran had hands up and down Joey's spine, making her shiver and wrap her arms tightly around her neck.

"You know, it is our anniversary…" Joey murmured hopefully.

She caught Charlie's wicked grin, excited over what was likely to happen next. Charlie swept a handful of papers off her desk and lay Joey back on it. She leant over her body, kissing her neck and cupping her breasts.

"Have I mentioned how much I love you in this uniform?" Charlie grinned.

Joey giggled.

"I think the clues have been the times you wouldn't let me take it off," she smirked.

Charlie undid the buttons to Joey's shirt, kissing every bit of flesh she exposed. She grinned when she saw the lacy, blue bra she wore beneath. It was one of her favourites.

With the shirt undone and un-tucked from Joey's trousers, Charlie traced her fingertips up and down Joey's lean torso. She kissed her tummy and then back up to her breasts.

She toyed with Joey's erect nipples through the thin lace, stroking them with her fingers and then her tongue. She released one and then the other, keeping her movements delicate, having lost all sense of time and location.

Joey lay back on the wooden desk, gazing up at the ceiling and feeling her head spin with pleasure. She felt hot and like there was some sort of flood between her legs as she relished Charlie's every touch. She groaned as Charlie took one nipple between her teeth, sucking it hard.

"Charlie…" she moaned.

The Detective slipped her hand quickly inside Joey's work trousers, glad that she wore them ever so slightly loose. She grinned when she discovered she was wearing just a thong and judging by the material, it matched the bra. Charlie closed her eyes, stroking her thighs and kissing her breasts and she pictured the underwear in all its glory. She looked forward to seeing it properly that night after dinner. She giggled to herself as she pondered whether it was wrong to have a dessert both before and after.

"What are you…?" Joey was about to ask.

She was cut off by her own gasp as Charlie slid her underwear aside and thrust two fingers inside her. She cried out in growing ecstasy as Charlie expertly penetrated her. They knew each other's bodies so well now and yet everything was always still so exciting. She felt Joey shift, her legs unable to find safe landing as she tried to control herself.

Leaning over her again, Charlie kissed her neck, sucking on her pulse point. She leant on one hand as she worked to build her to climax, loving the way that Joey was always so excited to be with her.

"Charlie…" Joey gasped.

She wrapped her legs around Charlie's hips and closed her eyes as the crescendo built. She shuddered and clung tightly to Charlie as orgasm took over. Then she collapsed back onto the desk, her breathing laboured and stars dancing behind her eyelids.

When she opened up again, she found Charlie gazing lovingly at her. She lost herself in her eyes, wanting the moment to last forever.

* * *

That evening, Charlie's distracted mood had returned, although she was trying to keep a smile on her face over dinner. She knew how important it was to Joey and it was important to her too. She had certainly never celebrated an anniversary with anyone before. It was the longest relationship she had ever had.

"Joey, there's something I need to tell you," Charlie blurted out somewhere between their starter and main course.  
"I wish you would," Joey replied.

Charlie looked confused.

"You've obviously had something on your mind all day," Joey told her. "But if you talk to me then we can deal with it together."

Charlie swallowed. She really wasn't used to sharing her feelings.

"Okay," she said, taking a deep breath. "I've been offered a huge promotion but it means relocating back to the city."

Joey stared at her, she felt like her heart was breaking at the mere thought. Charlie had come to Summer Bay in order to help them tackle the River Boys and she had succeeded. Most of them were in jail where they belonged now, including their leader, Brax. And thanks to his incarceration, the ones that hadn't been charged with anything had calmed down and stopped causing trouble. She should have known Charlie would get credit for it.

"Wow," she said, unhappily, sitting back in her seat. "That's… great."

She tried to smile but it looked more like a grimace.

"No, it's not," Charlie told her. "This is what I've always wanted. My career is all I've lived for my whole life and…"

She trailed off, looking miserable. Joey studied her face.

"And?"

"And now I don't want it," Charlie told her.

Joey looked utterly confused.

"You don't want it?" she asked.

"I found something else to live for," Charlie told her.

Their eyes met and they smiled curiously at each other.

"You'd pass up a promotion to hang around here?" Joey asked sceptically.

She knew exactly how important Charlie's career was to her.

"Yeah, because I love the town so much!" Charlie remarked. "No, Joey, I'd pass up a promotion in order to stay here with _you_."

Joey just stared at her, not quite able to believe it.

"Unless you don't want me to?" Charlie asked worriedly.

Joey hurried to kneel by her side, holding her hands.

"I want you to," she said sincerely. "I'm just worried that you'll resent me for it later."

"I won't," Charlie said, losing herself in her eyes. "I've never loved anyone or anything like I love you, Joey. Not even my job. I want… I want to make this work with you."

"Are you sure?" Joey asked.

"Very sure," Charlie said.

"You just… don't seem that happy about the decision," Joey ventured.

Charlie held both her hands, kissing them both one after the other.

"I think I'm in shock," she explained. "Never in all my life did I think that I'd ever make a decision like this."

"But you _are _happy?" Joey checked.

"I'm happier than I ever thought I could be," Charlie confirmed.

They kissed, both looking forward to the rest of their lives together.

* * *

_Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this story. I hope you've enjoyed it. I've three more in the pipeline and I'm sure they'll appear at some point in the nearish future. This one was especially for Jensy25, as she was pretty eager to see Cop Joey. I hope it met your expectations! Love, IJKS xxx_


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